UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AGRARIA LA MOLINA

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS - DFYM

VOLCANES
GEOGRAFIA FISICA

PROF: Dr EVER MENACHO CASIMIRO

2019II
 Volcanic eruptions
 Viscosity of magma – factors
• Temperature (hotter magmas
are less viscous)
• Composition [Si02 (silica)
content]
 High silica – high viscosity (e.g., rhyolitic lava)
 Low silica – more fluid (e.g., basaltic lava)
 Dissolved gases (volatiles)

• Mainly water vapor and

carbon dioxide
• Gases expand near the
surface
More silica = more linkage
= more viscous
Magma compositions affect properties

Source: USGS
Volcanoes
 Stem from the release of magma
on to earth’s surface

 At least 1,500 active volcanoes

on the planet (1 eruption in
recorded history)

 50 volcanic eruptions every year

Mt. Pinatubo, 1990

 Types of Rock Erupted
(igneous extrusive)
 Basalt - silica content between 48% and 55%
 Andesite - silica content between 55% and 60%
 Dacite - silica content between 60% and 70% Increase in
silica
 Rhyolite - silica content between 70% and 77% content,
increase in
viscosity.

Activity Time
Rock Types Generate Viscous to Non-viscous
flows of lava
 Basalt - low silica, low viscosity (like……), trapped gasses released
easily

 Andesite - medium silica, higher viscosity (like……), trapped

gasses release much less easily

 Dacite and Rhyolite - high silica, high viscosity (like…….), trapped

gasses have a hard time escaping, but if they do…
Rock class determines landform type and eruption style:

 Cinder Cones - (basalt) mildly explosive

 Shield Volcanoes - (basalt) mildly explosive
 Composite Volcanoes - (andesite to dacite) mild to highly
explosive
 Lava Domes - (dacite to ryholite) non-explosive
 Calderas - (andesite to ryholite) extremely violent and explosive
Shield Volcanoes - Basically really big, long
duration cinder cones

Mauna Loa Olympus Mons

“Basalt Landform”
Cinder Cones -
Constructed from fountains of
lava that rain around the vent.

They can
also issue
low volatile
flows,
quietly
oozing from
SP Crater, N. AZ the vent.

Hawaii - Cinder Cone in Action

“Basalt Landform”
 Composite Volcanoes -
Build up over time with alternating ash fallouts and lava flows, tendency
to generate extremely violent events mixed with more moderate events.

Mt. Fuji - classic

composite cone

“Andesite - Dacite Landform”

Composite Volcanoes - Mt. Saint Helens

“Andesite - Dacite Landform”

Composite Volcanoes - Mt. Saint Helens

“Andesite - Dacite Landform”

Composite Volcanoes Mt. Pinatubo

“Andesite - Dacite Landform”

Composite Volcanoes Marianas Trench

“Andesite - Dacite Landform”

Lava Domes - Highly viscous eruptions that build
internally and externally

Lava Dome developing

in Mount St. Helens Mt. Elden, N. AZ

“Dacite - Rhyolite Landform”

 Highly explosive eruptions that
Calderas - lead to structural collapse from an
emptied magma chamber

Show Movie - Crater Lake, 6

miles wide, 7,700 years ago -
Long Valley Caldera, 15 miles wide, andesitic
rhyolitic, 760,000 years old released
160 cubic miles of material
“Andesite to Rhyolite Landform”
Dangers associated with eruptions:
 Lahars
a hot or cold mixture of water
and rock fragments flowing (70
mph) down the slopes of a
volcano and into river valleys

 Pyroclastic flows Mt. St. Helens, 1980

fluidized masses of rock
fragments and gases that
move rapidly in response to
gravity

(can travel over 400 miles

per hour, and reach
temperatures approaching
2,000° F)
Mt. St. Helens, 1980
Mt. Pelée, 1902
Dangers associated with eruptions:
 CO2 Emissions - Release of CO2 from buried magma
into the atmosphere through faults, fissures, and
lakes.

Mammoth, CA – 1,300
tons of sulphur dioxide
released every day. “What might some positives be?”
Positives associated with Volcanism:
 Fertile Soils
Enriched soils from mineral rich volcanic
ashfalls

 Geothermal Energy
Magma in the earth heats groundwater
and the steam is used to power
generators

 New Land
Lava flows from continents into oceans
can generate new land for
development